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Showing posts from 2011

Without Being Seen...

Lincoln School teachers and students go to great lengths to demonstrate the Character Counts Traits of Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, and Citizenship.  Teachers find new and interesting ways to teach and guide students, motivate and reward them.  Students look for opportunities to show what they have learned and to gain recognition for their efforts.  This is all good. It sets the tone for the school and for future endeavors.   Often when a student is recognized for his or her efforts in regards to Character Counts they "beam" a bit; for they have been publicly recognized and they serve as a model for other students.  Often, kids clap when people are recognized.  It is all very positive.   There are times, however, when recognition does not come at the foot heels of a Character Counts demonstration...when the act of kindness or goodwill goes unnoticed; or at least, so it seems. Picture this~~one student loses something ...
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Many...

When you walk through Lincoln School you will see the walls are filled with pictures, artwork, projects.  Representations of what kids are learning about, what they have learned, or information about them.  It makes for a colorful display as you roam the maze of hallways.    When I find myself with a moment or two early in the morning or on my way out for the day, I like to stop and admire the hangings as I pass them.  Each day brings me a little closer to the Lincoln School culture; I see what matters to the children that house this school. There are some pictures that have been up for quite some time now, as opposed to the others that are changed on a fairly regular basis.  In fact, I don't think these pictures have been changed for years.  They are photographs of students past.  Far past. I was walking through a portion of building while my students were at Art and I stopped to look a bit more closely at some of these pictures--it was Monday...
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Taking on Independence

Fourth grade is a time of change.  Kids change physically, academically, and socially. I see it every year and it begins right about now; right about the time of Thanksgiving. The physical change is always obvious.  They seem to grow taller overnight, their expressions are a bit more adult-like, and they are becoming more coordinated in their movements (although that may change as their bodies grow faster and they are trying to "keep up" with it!).  They will delight in challenging their physical stamina, their physical coordination, and their physical accomplishments.    Academically the change is something wondrous to behold.  They have started on the path of making meaningful connections simply because now they have an arsenal of experiences that they can draw upon.  They find the cross-curricular connections more easily and begin to piece the puzzle of education together...figuring out that 'subjects" exist not in isolation but rather are intert...
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Consistency

The first trimester is fast approaching its end and conferences are right around the corner.  Our classroom has established itself for what it will be like for the rest of the year with, of course, a few minor changes along the way.   The first six weeks of school are the most important in terms of forging a path that will lead us to the goals set forth...namely being successful in 4th grade.  It’s in these critical six weeks that routines are established, personalities are expressed, opinions are formed, and learning styles are reflected.  From there we begin to cement our days in the routines that we have established...yet the cement never really dries.  We have to have some room to wiggle; to break free from the constancy of a routine.  This brings spice to the life of a classroom.   Now that we have well passed the six-week mark and are looking to parent-teacher conferences, I must look back on what we, as a class, have agreed upon for ours...
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The Rules of Work...

   "There is a time to work and a time to play.  The trick in succeeding in Room 202 is to know which time is when."   This is one of the teaching philosophies I impart to my students.  I have found over the years, however, that simply telling them this is not enough.  In order for them to understand what I am trying to tell them they need to experience it for themselves...this falls into line with all learning~~experience is the best teacher.   Over the years I have developed a "plan of action".  A way for experience to teach my students the "rules for work".  It is delivered without emotion and usually with a slight smile... The rules for work are quite simple in my classroom.  They are quite logical as well; something that kids gravitate to in terms of "rules" and 'regulations".   When given an assignment to complete in school the following will always hold true. If you are working hard and making progress, you can ...
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Discovery...

I would have to say that this was a week of discovery...for both the students and teacher.  You see, learning is really a process of discovering.  Many times it is about discovering something you never knew existed.  Other times it's about discovering something that you were aware of but didn't know the "how" or "why" behind it.  Sometimes the learning is about something you already knew existed but now you have seen it in action. In science we are studying plant and animal adaptations.  Students were given a cup of ice cold water and instructed to place their finger in it for no more than 3 minutes.  They recorded their observations.  Then we covered the finger (after it reached room temperature again) with lard (representing the blubber on some animals) and they dipped their "blubber finger" in the ice cold water.  They recorded their findings.  This is a good example of knowing about something (the blubber on animals acting as an insulat...
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The Question...

Every day my students write in their journals.  Once a week they write to me.  The entry is called "Dear Mr. C".  Here they can ask me questions, share their thoughts, or tell me anything...I read their entry and write back to them in their journal...I then return it to them. This week one student wrote: "Dear Mr. C, If you could pick any job and you knew you would get a million dollars to do it, what job would you pick?" Now when you look at that question it seems pretty straight-forward...it's asking me to put aside the idea that we get paid for jobs and to focus on what job I would like most...since I would get a million dollars, money should be no object in my response of which job I would love to have. I get questions like this all the time.  Kids inquire about how I would spend my time if I had an infinite amount of time on my hands.  They ask me where I would like to go on vacation, what instrument I'd like to play, what sport I'd like to pl...
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The Turning...

The school year is well under way.  September closes its door and October brings in the rains and wind, the cooling temperatures, and the colors that dance before our sights and change before we can get a glimpse of them.  We begin, in the classroom, to settle into our routines, find our rhythms, and start relaxing.  We allow our true selves to be known, little by little.  The personalities of each shines through just like the colors of the changing autumn leaves... We know why the leaves change colors.  The temperatures begin to dip and the production of chlorophyll decreases. With the drop in chlorophyll production, the green color we have grown accustomed to over the past few months begins to disappear, and the other colors of the spectrum shine through.  These other colors, however, unveil themselves at slightly different times and in different tones for each individual leaf.  Each one is unique and beautiful when looked upon in your hand. ...
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On Paper to Me...

My students are asked to write in their journals every morning when they arrive at school. It’s an exercise that allows them to put down on paper what is happening in their lives. There are four different entries a student can make. Each day they are asked to make one of the four entries based on the group they are part of (there are four groups of six determined by their "location" on my class list: students 1-6, 7-12, 13-18, and 19-24). The entries include: Home, School, Dear Mr. C, and Free Write. The Home entry is an opportunity for them to write about what's going on at home; same with the school entry (what's happening at school). The Dear Mr. C entry is the time they write directly to me (they turn in their journal on their "Dear Mr. C" day); and the Free Write is just that--a time to write about anything. The journaling typically lasts 10 minutes. Not for this group though. This group takes the better part of 25 - 30 minutes. They write wonder...
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The Moments of Change...

Each week we have a different story from our reader. This week, our story was about a man, who in the early part of the 20th century (maybe the 1930's), travelled from Japan to America.  He settled in San Francisco for a bit.  He returned to Japan after a few years, got married, and brought his new bride back to SF.  After having a daughter, the family stayed in SF until she was grown...then they moved to Japan.  The man in the story kept going from one country to another, and each time he was in a country, he missed the other.  Each time he was in a country, he found something more that he liked about it.  The classroom offers a similar experience for both students and teachers.  We come together in the early Fall, after spending time with our family and friends on a daily basis over the summer. When we first gather together in the classroom there is unfamiliarity.  Students are looking at a new classroom, a new teacher, new expectati...
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Patience, praise and a pat-on-the-back...

A brainstorming session was taking place in Room 202 this week.  Students were asked to search their memeory banks for 8 events.  Four of which they considered "good" events and four they considered "not-so-good" events.  From this brainstorming session they will eventually write a narrative "Memoir" depicting one chosen event and how they felt about it. I walked slowly around the room as they began their brainstorming.  Blank papers are what I saw.  Fidgity hands, tapping pencils, and long-off stares filled the room.  Occasionally as I passed a student, they would look at me, sport a slight smile, and look down at their blank paper.  Many sought out my examples, still on the front screen, trying to use what I had written during the lesson as a spark for their own ideas.  I felt like saying something.  I felt like putting some ideas out there for them to grasp on to besides my example.  I felt like they were on th...
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Dear Mom & Dad...

Developed over many years, writing has become a passion of mine.  It allows me to express myself in ways I would otherwise be pressed to accomplish.  I can let the thoughts that lurk in the corners of my mind find their way to the outside world.  The development continues as I reach out to different pathways of delivering my thoughts from their dwelling place to my readers. When I teach writing in my 4th grade classroom I feel alive.  I thrill in lessons that bring out the best in my students.  I get excited when they learn new ways to express themselves.  The rewards of the well written word from students can compare to very little. This week I had my students working on several papers.  We had the time and the motivation.  One of the papers was a friendly letter to their parents that was to be read by the parents on Parent Information Night.  I have had this as an assignment for many years now and I always wond...
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All About...

Each year I start the year with three writing assignments.  The first is a fun poem called a “Bio-Poem”.  Kids write about their family, the things they love the most, their beliefs, fears, curiosities, and their hopes and dreams for the future.  Their picture accompanies the poem and it hangs on their in-class locker door for the entire year.  It’s a nice way to get to know each child in my room. The second writing is titled, “It’s All About Me” and the third assignment is titled, “It’s All About Us”.  These two writings go hand-in-hand as the children develop them. Each of these writings employs three of the six “Character Counts” traits (Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, & Citizenship)  as a way for kids to describe how they conduct themselves on a personal level as well as in the classroom. “It’s All About Me” allows each young author to find ways that demonstrate “Character Counts” traits in their personal life.  I...
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Simply Speaking

Walking into my eleventh year as a teacher; looking once again into the faces and eyes of young people; taking time with them to establish the relationship they will have with me, each other, and with learning.  The beginning of a new school year always provides new insights to life. Our conversations over the past two days revolved around setting the stage for a successful school year for everyone.  The atmosphere was calm, genuine, and intelligent. The one aspect that rose from our conversation is that simplicity is going to be the name of the game.  When we spoke of rules and expectations we spoke of them in simple terms.  These terms were understood by all, agreed upon by the collective voices, and accepted as our path chosen.  From our simple rules we gathered ourselves into conversations about how specific events would fit into the simple rules.  Each time we generated an example of a behavior my students were able to grasp the idea that i...
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Looking Forward to School Starting...

The summer winds down and we look ahead to a new school year. What will it bring? What will we learn? These questions revolve around what we are willing to invest in ourselves. Each year I set goals not only for my students but for myself as a teacher.  This year I would like to focus my energies on helping my students be as independent as possible...and by this I mean having them be an integral part of what they are learning.  It is the responsibility for one's learning that produces the the longest lasting effect. I look forward to this year.  I look forward to meeting the next group of kids to traverse through Room 202.  I know that this year, being my 11th year teaching and my 17th year working with kids and families, that we will all benefit from a atmosphere of shared goals; common goals. While I haven't yet met my students, my sights are set upon developing a relationship with each and every one of them...a relationship built on trust, mutual res...
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MCC Summer Reflections:

MCC Summer Reflections: This is one of my favorite pictures of me and Lin... : "This is one of my favorite pictures of me and Lindsay. I remember when we took this picture. I love how we are hanging on to each other...."
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MCC Summer Reflections:

MCC Summer Reflections: She knew the moment the gift was out of the b... : "She knew the moment the gift was out of the box. It was a purple Rapunzel dress. Her expression lit the morning up and the birds sang..."
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